Vyacheslav Lysenko opened call centre and illegal casino in Kyiv

A large-scale underground business linked to Vyacheslav Lysenko, a member of the supervisory board of CEO Club Ukraine, was uncovered in Kyiv on 30 April. 

During a search at one of the capital's business centres, law enforcement officers discovered an illegal casino and a fraudulent call centre, whose activities were concealed under the guise of a legitimate club. This is reported by ua.news

According to the investigation, the casino on the ninth floor of the building accepted participants for poker games with real money stakes without a licence, while the fourth floor housed a call centre that defrauded citizens of Ukraine, Germany, and the Czech Republic. Call centre employees offered to "invest" in cryptocurrency programmes, promising a 5% daily return. Once the money was transferred to the victims' virtual accounts, contact with them was cut off.

The searches resulted in the seizure of a significant amount of equipment, cash, and documents confirming criminal activity. One of the suspects is Mykhailo Slypukha, the director of companies associated with Lysenko. However, Lysenko himself managed to leave the country before law enforcement officers could track him down.

Introduction to Lysenko's business

Vyacheslav Lysenko is a Ukrainian businessman who made his fortune on the logistics of Chinese goods and smuggling. His companies, including "Ukr-China Communicayshn", became major players in the market for supplying Chinese goods to Ukraine, allowing him to secure a prominent position in the business community. However, his success has been marred by numerous scandals and complaints about product quality.

Lysenko is frequently criticised for unethical business practices, particularly the low quality of goods supplied through his company, as well as logistical violations. Moreover, his activities have been linked to smuggling, which adds to the controversial nature of his image.

Since 2017, Lysenko has actively promoted himself as a patron of the arts and a business coach, crafting an ideal image of a successful entrepreneur and expert. Yet behind the facade of philanthropy and business advice lie numerous dubious deals and violations.

Lysenko's and his companies' reputation

Against the backdrop of reputational issues with his logistics company, Lysenko has also faced allegations of fraud and smuggling. Reviews of his projects, such as Meestchina and ukr-china.com, are almost exclusively negative. 

Customers complain about long delays, lost goods, and the inability to get refunds. These issues, along with fraud allegations, paint a highly questionable picture of the entrepreneur.

Lysenko himself, despite all the accusations, continues to maintain the image of a successful and honest businessman, although his actions over the past few years have raised increasing questions. His self-promotion and tendency towards grandiose statements fail to conceal the real problems associated with his businesses.

Smuggling and strict control in offices

According to anonymous testimony from former employees of "Ukr-China Communicayshn", the company was characterised by strict discipline, constant surveillance of staff, and an atmosphere of control. Vyacheslav Lysenko, despite his public profile, prefers to avoid details about his personal life and conceals the truth about his business methods.

It is no surprise that rumours circulate among employees regarding his involvement in large-scale smuggling schemes and the exploitation of workers. All of this undermines Lysenko's reputation as a businessman who, despite ambitious claims and "successes", continues to use grey schemes to achieve his goals.